Music signature chart



May 11, 1937 T. J. oRzADA MUSIC SIGNATURE CHART Filed oct. 15, 1934 l l l LV Tl s 5 m 0 www ,w m Ir. m O o 5 .m. 4 Jl m nm @1 Tn. WA u ,T c n ,0 \w v .m ,.e w fm n, \.T m w|m |mmmlmll s DMN ,D 1| an B m kann ...Lik MMM H Mmmm wwww umm Patented May 11, 1937 UNiTEo srares PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to music signature charts and has for its object the provision of a new and improved form and arrangement of parts by which a very convenient showing may be made of the signatures of the various major and minor keys. It is one of the objects of my invention to provide a chart of this type of great compactness, one which can be used very readily by any one by a mechanical manipulation requiring very little, if any, mechanical skill, and one in which the information with respect to each of the several signatures is displayed in the standard music notation form, or nearly so, whereby the user becomes familiar not only with the data involved but also with the style and appearance of the data in its accepted form.

It is another object of my invention to improve devices of this type in sundry details hereinafter pointed out. The preferred means by which I have accomplished my several objects are illustrated in the drawing and are hereinafter specifically described. That which I believe to be new and desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the claim.

In the drawing,-

Fig. 1 is a face view of my improved device with the parts moved to the limit of their motion in one direction, and with parts broken away for clearness of illustration;

Figs. 2 to 7 inclusive are Views similar to Fig. 1 but showing the parts moved to successive critical positions for demonstrating fully the operation of the device;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged face View of one of the members making up the device as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is a vertical cross sectional view, taken substantially at line 9-9 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 10 is a horizontal cross sectional view, taken substantially at line Iii- I of Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. l but showing the reverse face of the device.

Referring now to the several figures of the drawing, in which corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters, I and I6 indicate two strips of paper or other suitable sheet material arranged in face to face relation and slidable longitudinally with respect to each other, each of said strips having a flap portion formed integrally therewith and folded over about the other strip to form a tube about such other strip, such flaps being indicated by the numerals I'I and I8 respectively. By the use of this arrangement, the strips are held in the desired relation to each other and are guided with respect to (Cl. SLL-473) each other in the longitudinal adjustment of the strips.

The strip I6 in the portion thereof opposite the flap I8 is provided with a series of openings spaced transversely of the strip so as to be substantially out of line with respect to each other longitudinally of the strip. In the arrangement shown, seven openings I9 are provided, together with additional openings 2li, 2l and 22. The openings I9 are arranged by reference to a representation of a staff 23 on the face of the strip, having substantially the same spacing and positioning with respect to each other and with respect to the staff as the spacing and positioning of the sharps of a key signature. with reference to a showing of the number of sharps involved in the key illlustrated at any particular adjustment of the strips, and the openings 2I and 22 are provided with reference to the names of the keys.

For cooperation with the strip I6, the face of the strip I5 underlying the openings I9 to 22 is provided with a series of numerals I to 1 and Il which are visible through the openings at the several critical adjustments of the strips; with a series of typical sharp signs (t) in position to show through the openings I9, and with a series of key names in position to show through the openings 2| and 22. The arrangement is such that when the numeral I shows through the opening 2E! for indicating the key of one sharp, a letter G shows through the opening 2|, a letter E through the opening 22, and a sharp sign through the opening I9 farthest to the left, in the arrangement shown the sharp sign being accorni panied by the letter F since F is the note which is sharped in the key of one sharp or G major. When the strips are adjusted for other numerals to show through the opening 2B, the names of the keys and the number of sharps and their relative positions as showing through the openings I9 are changed to correspond te the key signatures of the various keys in turn, the data showing through the openings I9, 2|, and 22 corresponding in every instance with the key of the number of Sharps indicated by the showing through the opening 20.

In the arrangement shown on the reverse face of the device as indicated in Fig. 11, seven openings 24 are provided, together with additional openings 25, 26, and 2l. The openings 24 are arranged by reference to a representation of a staff 28 on the face of the strip I5', such openings having substantially the same spacing and positioning with respect to each other and with re- The opening 20 is provided spect to the stair as the spacing and positioning of the ats of a key signature. The opening 25 is provided with reference to a showing of the number' of flats involved in the key illustrated at any particular adjustment of the strips, and the openings 26 and 2'! are provided with reference to the names of the keys. The face of the strip l5 underlying the openings 24 to 21 is provided with a series of numbers l to 7 Which are Visible through the openings 25 at the several crit-ical adjustments of the strips, one of such nrunbers being seen through the opening 25 of the arrangement shown in Figi 11. The strip i5 is provided further with a series of typical 7 at signs (b) in position to show through the openings 24, and with a series of key names to show through the openings 26 and 2l. The arrangement is such that at each adjustment of the strips l5 and l5 longitudinally with respect 20 to each other to critical positions, the names of the keys and the number of ilats and their relative positions as showing through the openings 24 are such in each instance to correspond to the name of the key and the key signature of the 25 number of iiats indicated by the showing through pieces of music written in the various keys whereby the memory of the student is sharpened and substantially assisted as compared with a showing merely of the subject-matter without reference to the environment.

While I prefer to employ the form of device as shown in my drawing and as above described, it is to be understood that my invention is not limited to the form shown except so far as the claim may be so limited by the prior art.

I claim:

A device of the type described, comprising in combination two members formed of sheet material each having a single strip portion at one end and a tubular portion at the opposite end arranged for insertion of the single strip portion of each member into the tubular portion of the other member, each of the tubular portions having a stair thereon and having openings therethrough corresponding in position substantially to the positions of the indicating signs of a key signature, and each of said single strip portions having a series of signature indicating signs thereon in position to show through the openings in the other and arranged so that when said two members are moved longitudinally with respect to each other the number of such indicating signs showing through said openings and the relative positions of said indicating signs so showing are varied to correspond to the several key signatures of the ordinary music notation.

THOMAS J. ORZADA. 

